A Hard Life To Live
by TheMaskedTimelord
Summary: AU Story with small turtles. In this alternate world, the turtles are not living in the sewers with their father with friends nearby. Instead, four young, mutant turtles are in a small room, only having each other to lean on as they try to survive whatever comes next through those metal doors.
1. Chapter 1

**A/N: So I know I probably shouldn't be working on another story since I still have to work on LJGW, but this has been in my mind for a while. The names may get a bit confusing at first and you may have a lot of questions, but just leave a review or PM and I'll be happy to explain :). I don't know when the next chapter will be up but I hope you enjoy this!**

 **Also, see if you can guess how the guys in this AU got their names or who is who ;)**

 **Disclaimer: Sadly, no.**

Forty-Three's P.O.V

When they threw my brother into our room, I immediately knew something was wrong. The first thing sign was that he wasn't getting up from the cold cement ground. Whenever they took Thirty-Two, he would always try to get back up and walk it off, just like I do. We don't want Sixty-One or Sixty-Three to worry or freak out. Pride might also be a part of it, or at least, it is for me. So when I don't see him trying to sit up and walk over to us, I know something is really wrong.

It's barely a second before I realize the second thing wrong with Thirty-Two. He's crying; not softly crying, but sobbing. I have only seen him cry a couple times since he doesn't like crying in front of anyone. Sometimes, I will wake up while the others are asleep to find him in the corner. In the dark, I will be able to make out a couple tears that have escaped his eyes and are falling down his cheeks. When I find him, I sometimes go to him and try to comfort him as much as I can. Other times, I will let him cry in the corner. After all, he always feels bad after I find him crying and we all do it. All four of us have out bad days and sometimes we just need a good cry. This time, though, the only effort he puts into hiding his tears are burying his face into the ground. His sobs and yelling fills the room though, putting us all in shock.

"Keep him back," I tell Sixty-One. I can already tell that whatever happened today wasn't good.

My brother nods before wrapping his arms tightly around Sixty-Three. Both of their faces are pale and their eyes are wide. Part of me wants to tell them "it'll be alright," but I don't want to lie to them.

I quickly kneel besides Thirty-Two, feeling him jump and flinch when my hand meets his shoulder. "What happened?" I ask him, having to raise my voice over his. "Tell me what's wrong."

His sobs become quieter and I can tell he's doing everything he can to calm down. Moving so I'm blocking Sixty-One's and Sixty-Three's view of him, I start to help him sit up. He grips my arms tightly as he lifts and moves his body to sit in front of me. I first notice the large bump on his neck. It looks like one of the needle injections that cover all of our bodies. The only problem is this one is red and has gotten super big. You could almost pretend there was a small ball underneath it or it was a bad bug bite. However, it was nothing compared to what his face was like.

A gasp escapes my mouth when I find my brother's face wrapped in bandages. The bandages were most likely white before they put it on, but now, they are soaked in red. Mixed in with the salty tears are small droplets of blood. I swallow at the sight and no longer blame him for freaking out.

"You didn't let them see, did you?" he asks quietly, his voice shaking as he talks.

I shake my head before saying "no," realizing he can't see me. Before letting my two younger brothers look at Thirty-Two. With gentle fingers, I wipe away the blood and tears on his cheeks before turning to Sixty-One, wiping my fingers on my leg. "You have any more bandages lying around?"

He bites his lip, thinking, before running over to the corner of the room with Sixty-Three's hand in his. Sometimes, when the scientists give us food, they sometimes give us extra bandages. Even though they know we have them and probably have hidden cameras around here somewhere, it makes us feel better hiding them. Sixty-One does a better job with taking care of injuries than any of us and if smarter than the three of us combined, probably. After adding all those facts up, we decided to let Sixty-One hide the extra bandages. Sure enough, he was able to find a loose brick in the wall. Pulling it out, we were able to create a small hiding place for them, along with anything else we can get out hands on. Besides the bandages, we have a little bit of extra food, a little bit of leftover water in a water bottle, a ring one of the scientists dropped, and a golden pocket watch. They aren't anything big, but they are special all the same.

Returning the brick to its spot, Sixty-One tosses me the roll of bandages. Easily catching them, I turn back to my brother. I swear the red on the bandage has spread slightly while more tears, sweat, and blood drip off his face, his bottom lip trembling slightly if you pay close attention.

Swallowing hard, I gently take my brother's hand. Thirty-Two jumps a bit, but doesn't fight my grip. Even though he can't see me, I smile. "Alright. I'm going to change your bandages, okay? I'll be as gentle as I can taking them off and stuff."

He nods. No matter how many fights we get into, we both trust each other with our lives. In the end, we are pretty much the same. We both want to protect our brothers, our family. Letting out a small sigh, I slowly untie the knot that is behind my brother's head. I have to reach over to untie it because I can feel my brothers' eyes on me and Thirty-Two, watching us closely. I still don't want them to see Thirty-Two until I get fresh bandages on his head.

As soon as I start slowly unwrapping the blood-soaked cloth, I already know it will be a challenge. All the liquids that have fallen from my brother's face and head has cause the bandages to stick to itself, his head, and his injuries. Keeping my eyes on the task in front of me, I hear my brother hiss in pain. Whispering "sorry" quietly, I continue to gently pull the red ribbons off of his injuries. During this, I glance down to find him biting his lip and his teeth clenched. He's probably already mad at himself for crying like that in front of us,

Once I finally complete the complicated task of removing the bandages, another gasp escapes my mouth. Large, deep cuts crisscross my brother's white and red eyes, making him look more like a monster than my best friend. What scares me the most is his gaze, so blank as if I'm not even there.

As if reading my thoughts, Thirty-Two swallows before saying, "I can't see, Forty-Three."

"What happened?" I manage to get out, my eyes not leaving his face.

Another swallow as he starts to fidget with his fingers. "They injected me with something. It started hurting really bad, especially around my eyes. I started yelling at them and crying because I knew something was wrong. I had tried to close my eyes to help with the pain, but it didn't do anything. Then they forced my eyes back open. They used knives and stuff, but I couldn't see anything."

Seeing a shiver pass through my brother, I gently put my hands on my brother's shoulders. "Don't worry," I say, not really believing in my words. "We will fix this."

I don't know if he believes me or not, but he gives me a small smile. This is enough to remind me that I need to finish fixing him up so our other brothers can help him, too. Swallowing all the fear and anger that is burning inside me, I throw the dirty bandages in the corner before taking the clean ones in my lap. For as far as I can remember, that's what we have always done to stuff we are done with. Whether it's moldy food, dirty bandages, or even some trays or cups we are done with, we always throw it in the corner for the people to pick up. Sixty-Three calls it "The Trash Corner."

The process of getting the clean bandages off is way better than getting the old bandages off. Of course, I still wince every time I hear him hiss as the cloth touches his wounds. I finally allow my brother's to see Thirty-Two when I have to go behind him to tie the bandage. As my fingers began to work, I can hear my brothers gasp. It's not too long before I feel Thirty-Two being pushed against me. Looking up, I find Sixty-Three hugging him tightly, obviously taking Thirty-Two by surprise.

"Careful, Sixty-Three," Sixty-One says, coming up to us. His face is still pale and his wide eyes aren't leaving our injured brother's face. "He still seems to be a pain and Forty-Three still needs to finish up the bandages." He pauses and I can feel his eyes land on me. "I really wish you would have let me fix him up."

"You can tomorrow when they start healing up," I reply simply, standing up and stretching my limbs. Casually walking towards him, I lean close and tell him in a quiet voice, "It's bad, One. I don't know how long he won't be able to see or anything."

"I'll keep a close eye on his wounds," he says in the same quiet voice, his eyes still on our blind brother. "Like you said, I'll check on him tomorrow."

Nodding in response, I watch him walk away from me and towards Thirty-Two. I can't hear what they are saying, but I'm sure Two's trying to comfort Sixty-Three and Sixty-One. It was cool to see my brother's being there for each other; my currently blind brother holding Sixty-Three while Sixty-One keeps a strong, supportive grip on his shoulder. Swallowing hard, I start to think about Two being blind. Not only does he live in this cruel place, but now he can't see what's going on. It also makes me wonder what will happen next for my family...


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N: Hey everyone! Hope everyone is doing okay! Wow, a lot more people started reviewing than I originally thought! Thank you so much! I'll be sending out a review reply through PM to you guys! If you don't have an account or are not signed in or are a guest, I'll be leaving a reply to your review below. Thank you again so much and here is Chapter 2! Hope you guys like it! Tell me what you think or if there is anything I need to fix.**

 **Here are the names/numbers if anyone was confused in the last chapter! Leo : Thirty-Two. Raph : Forty-Three. Donnie : Sixty-One. Mikey : Sixty-Three. If anyone is curious on how I got these numbers, feel free to ask!**

 **Disclaimer: I don't think anyone would want me to own the turtles at this point...not after what I put them through. *evil grin* It won't stop me from trying, though! *Evil laugh!***

 **Review Replies from Chapter 1:**

 **Alex:** **I'm glad you liked the chapter! You are correct on the names and numbers! Thanks for leaving a review and I hope you like this chapter as well! :) :) :)**

 **Myah Castel:** **Ahh! I'm making you cry! *gives you a virtual hug and a tissue* As for why I wrote this, I'm an evil author }:). Here is another chapter! Hope you enjoy it and thanks for leaving a review! :) :) :)**

 **Heather:** **Yay! i'm glad you are really liking this story! Thank you, I have my moments of cleverness...they don't happen often, but they do happen! ;P Thanks for leaving a review! Hope you like this chapter, too! :) :) :)**

April O'Neil's P.O.V

Taking a deep breath and trying to gather all my courage, I walk down the hall with my chin in the air. Standing tall, I hold the tray of food with a tight grip, both my knuckles probably looking white. After working here for about two years, I have finally been able to move up in the ranks. It's hard gaining Stockman's trust; it requires a long period of time working with him and kind of being a suck-up. Hopefully, though, all of it will be worth it.

After doing some of the minor projects in the labs, I will finally see what they do for the major experiments. My parents always said my curiosity would kill me one of these days; yet, my curiosity has gotten me this far.

Working with Baxter Stockman in Stockman's Laboratory is almost like being at a college that does hands-on activities instead of tests and stuff. I have always done really well in the science department so coming here seemed like a good idea. Not only that, but it's a job. That means I get paid while learning! The reason Stockman did that was because he needed extra help around the labs. There is also the fact he can just throw away the billions and billions of dollars he has. Another reason I did that was so I will hopefully be very financially stable like him. I'm constantly worrying about money and helping my dad when he retires or something.

My eyes meet the large, metal double-door in front of me. Since I started working here, I always wondered what the scientists did once they past those two doors. There are two small square windows on each door, but you can never get close enough to see what's really going on. Not only would the windows probably just show you more of a hallway, but there are two security guards standing on each side of the door. It's two men, both looking tall and stern. I've hear of a few people trying to sweet talk them into letting them through the doors. How the rumors end is the person just got humiliated in front of their fellow workers.

Walking up to them and showing them my badge, I have a hard time keeping all this excited energy inside. All the anxiety and curiosity and excitement is just all building up, making me feel like a five-year-old on Christmas Morning, waiting for their parents to wake up so the gift-opening can begin! Sending me a nod, the guard opens the door, keeping his face neutral. I flash him a warm smile anyway before walking down the hallway with a small skip in my step.

Even though it's just another hallway, I'm still not disappointed. As soon as I make the right turn, there are labs on each side of me. Doors on all sides leading to scientists looking through microscopes to scientists testing a small robot! Some of the doors are close, hiding away their projects from my curious eyes, but it doesn't bother me. I'll get there soon; after all, look how far I am now! I have to mentally yell at myself to focus on what I'm suppose to do because I'm so distracted and interested in everyone else's work.

The lab I'm suppose to go into is a couple hallways down. During the process of getting there, I'm come across another set of double doors and have to show two other guards my pass. I don't know why, but I can feel tension and nervous energy begin to pile up at the bottom of my stomach. Going this far into the building is giving me a feeling of unease. After passing a couple more labs that seem mostly deserted, except for a scientist or two in every other one, I find my room. Lab 484. Swallowing hard, I slid my card in the card slot, hearing the small beep and seeing a small, green light, the door unlocks. Slowly and carefully, I push the strong door open.

I have to be honest that I'm slightly disappointed that this lab looks like any other lab. There's a large table in the middle, revealing straps. If a stranger walked into the room, it would probably seem like an experimenting table from a horror movie; however, I am no stranger to Stockman's Laboratory. On my first day on the job, I remember asking him what the table's function is to his experiments and researches. His answer was honest, saying that there have been a couple researches that involved animals and sometimes even required them to be restrained. The thought bothers me to this day, but when I mentioned it to him back them, he simply told me with a smile that those experiments are extremely rare and it's even likely I will never be a part of one of those projects. Even though that caused me to relieve a sigh, there was also the fact that the restraints and the table seemed more for a human than an animal. When I mentioned this, he told me how there have been a few times that a scientist could be exposed to a dangerous chemical or experiment and cause them to react violently and dangerously. Apparently there has been a similar accident previously and Stockman decided to put these tables and restraints in a couple rooms, wanting to protect the unfortunate scientist and nearby people until help arrives.

Turning my gaze from the table, I put the tray of food on the nearby counter. The rather large counter, like the other labs, has a ton of scientific equipment and the experiment's research both on top of the counter and in the drawers below it. Not to mention whatever else is on and in the desk on the other side of the room. On the desk and around the equipment is a very high-tech computer. Stockman wants to make sure we not only got the right equipment and technology, but also the best. I don't normally work on the computers often, but I am very good at them.

Walking towards the door, I decide to stop and give the Lab a good, final look. Stockman mentioned that it was likely that I was going to be coming back in this area more and more often, but I want to savor the moment and what I'm feeling after being here for the first time. Hopefully, this will be a memory I won't forget. As my eyes scan across the room, they stop on the tray of food I just brought in. My mind begins to turn and work as my feet carry over to the food again. The food looks edible to humans, but it doesn't look to be the best nor the healthiest. This food can't be for the scientists, especially in such a small amount, right?

I don't know what causes my eyes to move towards the corner of the room, but once they reach there, I notice how there is another door. The only logical reasons I can think of for not seeing it earlier is it blends in with the room, both being the same color, and that my excited energy caused me to overlook it. Curiosity begins to carry my feet towards the door, my ears listening super closely to my surroundings in case one of the scientists came in. Standing in front of the door, I reach my hand out to grab the doorknob. Once I feel the cool metal under my palm, I hesitate and pause. I could get in trouble for this, maybe even lose the trust I have worked so hard to earn; yet, even with that thought in mind, I can feel the urge to open the door become more and more demanding. Taking a deep breath, and knowing I will probably regret it, I turn the knob before pushing the door open.

A gasp escapes my lips as my eyes open and my body freezes in both curiosity, fear, and confusion. In the corner of the room is a large cage, taking up a lot of the small room's space. The cage, however, holds a weak looking creature. It appears human, having the height and built of a strong, male adult; however, it's appearance couldn't be any more different. Brown fur, maybe, covers the creature and a long, pink tail is curled around its legs. Two ears set on its head as a pink nose and light whiskers rest on its face. A rat. A mutant rat.

At the sound of the door, the creature's eyes look up at me. The fear in its bright eyes quickly disappear and are replaced with anger as it backs further into the cage. A low, threatening hiss fills my ears as its white teeth flash at me under the small, dim light above us. Even though it hides its fear, I know the creature is afraid of me. Why is it so afraid? What is going on here?

Pushing the questions aside for later, I turn my head towards the Lab. No one seems to be nearby and I can't hear anybody coming towards us. Letting out a nervous sigh, I carefully shut the door, leaving a small crack between it and the doorway just in case. I put a gentle, warm smile on my face as slowly step towards the cage, lifting my hands up in a surrender (and hopefully) reassuring pose.

"Hi, there," I say quietly. Its ear twitches towards me, telling me it can hear me. The creature is no longer hissing at me nor baring its teeth at me. I'm not sure if the creature can understand me as it continues to stare at me warily. I can only hope that my words sound calming and friendly, letting the creature know that I will not hurt it. "I'm not going to hurt you," I reassure. "I promise. I just want to get a good look at you is all."

Its back is against the far metal wall of the cage as I kneel in front of it. There is no way for reach it (not that I really think that's a good idea right now) but I carefully scan over it with my eyes. The creature is skinny, almost dangerously skinny. My mind wonders if that small amount of food that I brought in is the only thing the creature gets daily. Hopefully, it gets some water so it stays hydrated. Unfortunately, there is no way for me to really check. Not only is the creature skinny, but even with the fire and fury in its eyes I can tell it is weak and hurt. My eyes find wounds, stitched up scraps, and dried up blood on its fur.

"What are they doing to you?" I whisper quietly, the sadness obvious in my voice. I swear a flash of confusion rests in its eyes, but it is gone so quick that I cannot be a hundred percent sure I really saw it. Turning my head back towards the door, I know I have to leave soon before people get here or become suspicious. Looking back at the creature in determination, I put one of my hands against the cage. "I'll be back," I say. "And I'll help you any way I can."

After telling the poor creature my promise, I get up and walk out of the room, shutting the door behind me. As I quickly walk out of the Lab and down the hallway, my mind begins to think of how I can come back and how I can help the it. Maybe I can bring it some food like fruit or something. My mind begins to work as I walk through the first set of double doors, not paying the security any attention as I walk away.

"How can I help you Miss O'Neil?" Baxter Stockman asks over his glasses as I walk into his office. It has been only a couple hours since I found the creature in Lab 484 and I am determined to convince Stockman to let me visit it more. He sits at his main desk with papers in front of him and his computer at his side.

I return his smile as I close the door behind me and take a sit in front of him. "You remember that lab you let me visit today and deliver food to, right? Lab 484?"

Giving a nod, he tells me, "Of course," his smile never leaving his face.

"I was hoping you would let me continue delivering food in that lab. If I continue to help the scientists in that lab. You see, I'm hoping to run into and meet the scientists at some point and maybe help them in their experiments. If not, I'm sure they can also teach me a few things or give me advice that can help me later on here."

My explanation causes him to think. His hands are in front of him, his eyes distant as his brain works. I don't rush him or anything; just sit patiently as he thinks of an answer. After a few moments, he starts to nod before looking up at me and giving me a smile. "Sure, I'm sure we can work something out. You'll be working in your previously assigned lab area until around noon, then you can go to Lab 484 and deliver lunch. After that, I want to see you working again."

"Of course!" I saw with a bright smile. "Thank you, sir!"

He gives me a warm smile as I walk out of the room. As soon as I close the door behind me, my warm smile turns into a look of determination. Something is going on around here, and I tend to find out exactly what it is.

 **A/N: I'm not normally an April fan, but I think I'm going to enjoy writing her in this FanFic. What do you guys think of this chapter and the events that are occurring? Let me know your thoughts, leave a review, and tell me if there is anything I need to correct! Read from you guys next time! :) :) :)**


	3. Chapter 3

{Leo: 32

Raph: 43

Donnie: 61

Mikey: 63}

 **A/N:** **Here is the Chapter 3. As I told most people who reviewed in the last chapter, I wanted to finish writing my latest chapter for another story and it wouldn't end! I'll be wrapping that story up (hopefully and fairly) soon though and then these chapters should be coming quicker! I will also be leaving the turtles with their names/numbers for this AU when the chapter involves them. Hopefully, it will be slightly easier to identify who is who.**

 **Also, just to clarify, in this AU, Splinter is not aware of the turtles existence... not yet anyway ;).** **Thank you everyone reviewing, favoriting, following, and simply reading this story!** **! Now, I will shut up and let you read Ch.3 :)**

 **(Edited: I fixed that one spot where Forty-Three called Sixty-One "Don." That was totally my mistake and not intentional; I knew it was going to happen, too! Thank you guys for letting me know!)**

 **Disclaimer: I believe that at this point, no one WANTS me owning TMNT ;)**

 **To Guest:**

 **Splinter has gone through a lot :( Don't worry, though, something good will happen...in a while ;P**

Sixty-One's P.O.V

Pushing Sixty-Three into the corner, I watch as my other brother, Forty-Three begins punching and banging on the metal door. Thirty-Two is between us; even though his eyes are still bandaged, he looks conflicted. I know he wants to help our angry brother, but there is nothing we can do. There's no stopping him during one of his episodes.

It happened a couple weeks, maybe a month ago. Forty-Three just came back, stumbling into the room and almost falling when the people pushed him inside. I rushed to him and caught him, my remaining brothers quickly following behind me. My brother was drugged, unable to walk nor think straight. It took a lot of coaxing from all of us to get him to sleep; however, even when we got him to sleep, we cuddled close to him and slept next to him, concerned for him and what those awful people did to him.

The next day, Forty-Three was mentally fine; however, he complained about his muscles hurting. As Thirty-Two comforted him and Sixty-Three tried to cheer him up, I came to a sick conclusion. The scientists wanted to do this to him, if this was a side effect that wasn't expected, they would come in here immediately to treat him. Pulling Thirty-Two aside, I told him what I figured out. Even when I spoke, his face was turned to our hurting brother, the corner of his mouth is curved downward. Moving his arm, his hand brushes against my arm before it travels to my shoulder and squeezes it tightly. Whether he wanted to comfort me or needed the comforting himself, I don't know. Reaching over with my other arm, I cover his hand with my own, watching as my younger brother told a crazy story to Forty-Three, who was giving him a forced, pain smile.

The days after that began to hold his random episodes. Like the following ones, he got really quiet, not wanting to communicate to anyone. After a few moments of silence, he got up and began beating whatever he could and yelling, almost sounding like he was under the drug again. Back then, Thirty-Two tried to calm him down, only to get punched square in the face. It wasn't till I unwrapped his eyes made sure they weren't more damaged that he finally snapped out of it. He immediately felt horrible and guilty; but, Thirty-Two was having none of it. After his words didn't work, he lightly slapped Forty-Three and said "There, now we are even." The action somehow got our guilty brother to put on a smile. After that incident, we decided to let out brother yell and punch/kick during his episode while the rest of us didn't get in the way, no matter how much it pained us.

Forty-Three continues to scream at the people on the other side of the metal door for a good fifteen, twenty minutes. None of us moved during that, just watching in agony. Finally, my brother's body stills slightly and his fists slowly fall to his side, showing me the blood dripping off of his knuckles. It wasn't till he turned around to look at us with tired eyes and he fell on his knees till we sprint into action. Thirty-Two catches his falling body while I go for my brother's injured hands. Sixty-Three comes over with a worried expression and a forced smile, obviously still being upset and maybe slightly disturbed at what the stupid people did to our brother. Making sure Forty-Three is now leaning against the wall, Thirty-Two gives our hurt brother a squeeze to his shoulder and me a reassuring smile before standing to comfort our youngest brother, his hands slightly away from him so he could feel any oncoming walls. Lucky for him, Sixty-Three takes our oldest brother's hand and helps him sit next to him.

Turning my attention back on Forty-Three, I begin to wrap his hands with the last of the bandages I have stored. I honestly think he would have tried arguing against it if he wasn't so exhausted. His muscles tremble slightly after I finally finish the bandage; he doesn't talk but his eyes sometime meet mine, showing me the sadness and fatigue.

"Hey, Sixty-One?" he finally asks, tilting his head to look at me as I sit beside him, leaning my head against the wall.

"Yeah?"

He shakes his head lightly from side-to-side as he almost whispers, "I'm getting really tired of this."

"I know, bro," I say quietly back to him, taking his wrist before squeezing it tightly, not wanting to grab his hand and cause him pain.

"Be honest with me," he starts after a few moments, some strength sounding more present in his voice, "why do you think they are doing this? What do they get to learn as I bang against the door like some kind of animal?"

Letting out a small sigh, my grip on his tightens. "I have no idea. They could be testing your strength, your reaction to a chemical, anything."

Hearing him sigh, I turn to see his eyes closed as he leans against the wall behind us. Removing my arm from his wrists, I move it to his shoulder. "We'll get through this," I say, my voice sounding almost like my brothers' when they are comforting us. "We are going to get out of here and figure out how to turn to you back to your normal self."

Even though if I believe in my own words, they are enough for my brother to put a hand over my own. Turning his head towards me, his eyes open and he gives me a small smirk. "I know; thanks, Sixty-One."

I barely have time to give him a small smile in response before I hear one of my brothers from the other side of the room come running towards us. Sure enough, little Sixty-Three runs into Forty-Three, wrapping his little arms around our older brother's neck. Looking up, I see Thirty-Two cautiously walking over to us, the corners of his mouth turned upward. I'm about to take his hand or tell him something so he knows where we are before he sits in front of us, almost like he can see us.

He's getting better at becoming use to his blindness. Thirty-Two tells us that his already good hearing has gotten better and since our room is basically a small square, it's fairly easy to get use to the surroundings. After looking at his eyes carefully myself the first time, I'm not sure if he will ever see again. It's possible if I was an expert in that department of science or if I had the right equipment. For now, though, we decide to play it say and leave his eyes wrapped in bandages.

"Are you okay, now, Forty-Three?" Sixty-Three asks, sounding small and concern.

"Of course I am," Forty-Three replies, pushing our brother back slightly to get some air in his lungs. "I'm just a bit tired and sore."

"I think all need some rest," Thirty-Two says, probably hearing the yawn I was trying to hide.

Soon, we are all close to each other one of the corners of the room. Gathering each other's warmth, peaceful silence surrounds us as we allow sleep to slowly take us. It's then that I realize that no matter what those horrible science people do to us, in the end, we have each other's back. Honestly, I don't think it will ever change.


	4. Chapter 4

**A/N: Hey guys! Here's Ch.4 of AHLTL! I got third place in a writing contest and I am a happy child for it! I got nothing else to really say but enjoy and thank you everyone so much for your support and reviews! It means so much! Hope you guys like the chapter!**

 **Disclaimer: Nope, but, as soon as I post this, I will own a bowl of popcorn!**

 **Guest Reviews!**

 **Guest (1st one to review) : Yeah kind of accidentally did Don's real name in the chapter...but I did correct it! Thank you for letting me know! As for someone saving the turtles... we will see }:). Thanks for reviewing!**

 **Guest (2nd to review):** **Yeah, that was my mistake, I knew I was going to do it sometime I will probably end up doing it again! lol ;). Thanks for letting me know though! I have corrected it. Also, just a small fact in the story, the turtles in this AU are not really sure how names work. They believe that their numbers are indeed proper names they are given. Thanks for leaving a review! :)**

 **Guest (3rd to review):** **You will find out, my friend. You shall find out soon ;). I already have one about Sixty-One (or Don as we know him out of this AU) and I'm getting ready to write one for Sixty-Three! Thank you for the compliment and for leaving a review! :)**

April's P.O.V

Taking a deep breath through my nose, I release it through my mouth as I come up to the metal door. Turning behind me, I make sure the Lab is empty, all the scientists eating lunch somewhere else. Gathering my courage, I push down on the knob before opening the door. The room is dark, just like the last time. Before my eyes can adjust to the darkness, I can hear shuffling. The creature is moving away from me, swiftly and fairly quiet.

Blinking my eyes quickly, I began taking small steps forward. Kneeling down, I give it a warm smile as it watches me with cautious eyes. "Hello, again," I say quietly and softly. "I'm not going to hurt you, I promise."

Finally beginning to see shapes in the darkness, I can see the creature, once again, pushing itself back against the cage. With slow movements and without removing eye contact, I reach into my jacket pocket. Its eyes watch my hand movement before glancing at my face. This only proves my theory that earning this creature's trust is going to be very difficult. The only thing that really concerns me is that I don't know how much time this creature has…

"I'm sure they don't give you a lot to eat around here," I whisper to the creature as I pull the red apple out of my pocket. "I brought you some extra food, though. I'm not really sure what you eat so I decided to just get something," I pause to think about what is the right word I am looking for, "natural."

Leaning forward slightly, I sit the apple down inside the cage, my small hand easily slipping through the bars. Once the red fruit reaches the floor, I carefully backup to give the creature some space to eat it. Getting myself comfortable again, I notice some surprise in its eyes. Even though I am worried that the creature won't eat it and one of the scientists will come and get suspicious on how an apple got here, I give it a small smile and gesture towards the fruit with my head.

Glancing at me and the front in front of it, the creature cautiously stands up on it's two rear feet. Almost human, I think as a small shudder travels up my spine. I can't help but wonder how human-like this creature is. How much does this creature think and act like a normal human being? How much is it truly suffering from the experiments it is being put through?

It's eyes continue to look at me warily, as if it's all a trick and I'm getting ready to hurt him. In response, I try to stay perfectly still, only giving the creature a warm smile. After sitting the apple in its hand, it smells it carefully, eyes never leaving mine. Being satisfied that the apple is good and no trick, it begins to eat it. I can see if fighting back the urge to scarf the fruit down, instead taking small bites at a normal speed. Maybe it IS more human than I originally thought.

Watching it carefully, I notice it holding and eating the apple like a human. Its actions continue to prove it more and more human. How is it possible though, is what I'm wondering. The creature's appearance shows the complete opposite from what a normal person should be. Yet, the way it eats, moves, watches, it all seems too human; probably more human than some of the jerks that are in New York City.

The creature in front of me must have noticed that I was staring off into space, for I blink myself out of my thoughts to find it staring at me with something similar to confusion. Smiling timidly and feeling a small amount of heat in my cheeks, I rub the back of my neck.

"Sorry," I say quietly, finally looking back up at it. "I was just thinking." In response to my statement and apology, the creature looks back down at the fruit in his hands. As I carefully observe the rat mutant, an idea appears in my head. "I'll be right back," I state, getting up slowly from my kneeling position. It glances up at me and watches me quickly leaving the room, looking hesitant and curious.

As I walk into the lab, I quickly walk over to one of the desks, my water bottle sitting proudly on top of it. This morning, I had decided to bring a bottle of water with me, hoping to get myself more hydrated throughout the day. Throwing that thought I had this morning out the window, I grab the cool container before quickly returning to the creature in the cage. It looks back up at me quickly, the core of the apple in his hand. A smile crosses my face at the realization I helped the staring creature get an extra meal in.

Slowly and gently, I lower myself into the same position I was in moments ago. With a smile, I hold out the bottle of water. "Here," I say quietly, "how about a trade? The apple core for the bottle of water?"

Its eyes glance between me and the H2O in my hand. Hesitantly, it reaches out towards it, his other hand moving to put the apple core in my open palm. As soon as its long fingers wrapped around the plastic, it quickly removes the bottle from my grasp while dropping the core in my hand. My gently smile turns into a knowing smirk as I watch the mutant twist the cap off of the bottle before bringing it to its lips.

"So," I say after a few moments of silence, watch the creature slowly remove the plastic from its once dry mouth, "I believe you are more human than you truly let on."

Its eyes widen as it stares at me, its only reaction being small shock in its eyes.

"First, you moved and ate like a human, a well-mannered human to be precise," I explain, trying to add a small funny to my explanation. "Then, you appeared to understand more than simple commands, meaning you understand English; or, at least, most of the English language. Lastly, you knew how to remove the lid off of the water bottle and put it back on." As I gesture to the now closed bottle, its eyes meet mine. They seem to search me for a moment before a small smile pulls the corners of its mouth, meeting its eyes.

"Don't worry," I tell the creature with a smile, "you can trust me; I won't tell. And I want to help you. They are obviously hurting and starving you." Thinking for a minute, I tilt my head in thought. "Can you speak English?"

Before the caged-mutant can answer, I hear the lab door open before the sound of footsteps approaching meet my ears. Moving quickly, the creature shoves the bottle into my hand before moving towards the back of the cage. Its speed leaves me blinking, my brain still processing what just happened. Yet, the mutant's great speed almost wasn't enough; for a second after the creature rests on the opposite side of the cage, a person enters the dark room.

"What are you doing in here?" the scientist asks. His red hair seems to reflect some of the light coming from the lab. The dark eyes peering through the round glasses that rest on his nose look at me with curiosity and confusion.

Standing up quickly and swallowing hard, I try not to look too nervous. Gripping the half-empty water bottle in my hands, I clear my throat. "I brought the food and reports from downstairs," I explain, thinking off-the-fly on what to say. "I was just going to sit them on the counter and leave, but the door was open and I was curious."

The confusion in his eyes went away and he sent me a small smile. His eyes go to the mutant in the cage. "Amazing, isn't it? We've had him for quite some time now, but there is still so much to learn."

I nod, looking down at the mutant. He's watching us closely, his eyes darting between me and the scientist. "I bet," I reply. "How did you get him?"

"Baxter Stockman brought him in," the scientist explains. Apparently a rich man found him on his property and brought him to us to learn more about the creature and do a couple experiments/observations. I think Stockman's plan is to learn how he was created and create similar creatures, probably for military purposes or something."

Nodding, I pretend to seem like nothing about it is bothering me. It is though! All of it is wrong! Learning more about a strange and unique creature is one thing; but, holding that creature hostage, practically torturing it, then creating similar beings just to send them war or something crazy is, well, crazy!

"Well," I say, walking towards him. "I should probably head back to my own lab and leave you to your research. Keep me posted on what you learn; I am curious on what you find."

"I don't know how much I can tell you," he starts, "but I'll tell you all I can."

"Great! I'll come back tomorrow; I hope I'll be able to see you again!" Of course, it's a lie. He's the last person I would like to see tomorrow.

Walking out the door as the scientist approaches the cage, I turn back to the mutant. He watches the scientist carefully with a glare before his eyes meet mine and soften. In response, I give him a determined nod, sending him a silent nod that I was on his side. I guess he got the general idea of the message, for he tilts his head downward slightly with a nod; and I swear, I saw the corner of his mouth turn upward.

This is going to end, I think to myself as I walk out of the lab and down the hallway. There is no way I'm going to let this continue any longer!


	5. Chapter 5

{L=32 (12+5+15)

R=43 (10+1+16+8)

D=61 (4+15+14+14+9+5)

M=63 (13+9+11+5+25)}

 **A/N: Sorry, for the long wait. Real life was being a major jerk! Hope you guys are doing alright! (Also, if I didn't send you a PM in response to your reply, let me know! I'll send you 11 sorries and start telling you how awesome you are!) Please let me know what you think of this chapter! Enjoy! :)**

 **Disclaimer: Well, no. But after I make my own special ooze, I'm sure I can get one }:)**

 **Guest Review Replies:**

 **Guest (May 8):** **Haha! There will definitely be an escape chapter heading your wait. Be patient, child ;P Thank you so much for reviewing! :)**

Sixty-Three's P.O.V

Blinking through the darkness, I let out a small yawn. It's still nighttime; I can tell because on most nights, I'm up. Tonight, I was sleeping well, until something caused me to wake up.

Focusing for a second, I search for what woke me up from my peaceful, wonderful sleep. Just as I thought, it was the muttering of my brother, Sixty-One. My eyes adjusting to the darkness, I look over to my left. Between me and Forty-Three, my brother twists and turns on the floor, words quietly and quickly coming out of his mouth as his breathing increases. As soon as I realize what is going on, I sit up (without waking Thirty-Two on my right) and go to him as fast as I can.

These episodes have started not-too-long ago. The tall men in white, long coats bring Sixty-One in, pushing into the room. I can never forgot how my brother's eyes looked. They were wide, but they didn't hold anything in them, almost like glass balls someone put in to replace his eyes. His skin was a really weird color, too. My brother's normal shade of green was really light, making it look not normal and strange. Within seconds, all three of us are standing. Forty-Three leans over and whispers to Thirty-Two that something is not right; but, even without his eyes, I think he already knew that.

It was almost like when Forty-Three gets angry and begins hitting anything close to him. Even though Sixty-One didn't become violent or angry, he wasn't himself. Instead of acting all smart and nice, he was still and would barely blink! It was almost as if he was sleeping with his eyes wide open as he was sitting up straight. I was the one that first went to him. First, I tried talking to him. No matter what I said or how funny the joke was, Sixty-One would not move and his face was blank. Then, I kept touching him. He wouldn't move when I would try to walk him to the other side of the room or when I tried to hug him. Fear began causing me to shake as I kept trying to reach my older brother.

I remember jumping when I felt a hand reach for my own. Turning, I see a blurry Thirty-Two gently pulling me away from Sixty-One. Wiping the tears from my eyes and clearing my vision, I see him giving me a gentle, reassuring smile. As an answer, I burry my face into his shoulder and I wrap my arms around me tightly. Hearing Forty-Three continue to try to reach Sixty-One, I let more tears fall from my eyes, feeling Thirty-Two rub my shell softly. We all stay like that for a few minutes. Forty-Three kept trying to get through to our still brother while Thirty-Two comforted me and held me close. Part of me wondered what the people white thought about this and how could they just let this happen.

A sob caught my attention and I turned to find Sixty-One crying. He's on his knees, Forty-Three holding him and telling him something quietly. Pulling from Thirty-Two, I ran to my crying brother. I wrapped my arms around him; I remember crying over his shoulder, happy to know he didn't leave us or something. All three of us hugged him until we fell asleep in a pile, holding each other close.

It didn't stop there, though. We all have nightmares, but his got really bad. He would wake up screaming and crying and wouldn't talk to us: just cry. The episodes make me think he goes somewhere, unable to hear or see us. Whenever he has an episode and is like that, we always hug him tight and try talking to him. Soon, though, it got harder to wake him. At one time, Forty-Three had to smack him awake. He felt really bad for doing it, but he was scared for Sixty-One.

Looking down at Sixty-One, I notice him sweating and closing his eyes tightly. Grabbing his shoulders, I try to lightly shake my brother awake. He doesn't do anything; he just keeps shaking his head and muttering quietly. It makes me nervous and I shake him a bit harder. Normally, I would wake up Thirty-Two or Forty-Three; but, they were both taken today. They feel asleep as soon as Sixty-One fixed them up. They were tired and had a really long day. I can totally do this, right?

"Sixty-One!" I whisper, trying to snap him awake. He shakes his head harder before snapping his eyes open. Before I can move out of the way, he sits up and smacks his head against mine, causing us both to groan and me to fall back. Falling on my shell, I rub my sore head. Letting out another quiet groan, I look up to find Sixty-One still sitting up, rubbing his head, and staring into the distance. Afraid he went into an episode where he doesn't answer or anything, I walk over and sit in front of him, placing a hand on his shoulder and whispering his name.

He flinches under my hand before letting out a shaky sigh. "Sorry, Sixty-Three. Didn't mean to hit you."

A smile crosses my face; he wasn't in an episode, just had a super bad nightmare. "It's okay," I tell him. "I'm just glad you are up."

"Me too," he says, still not looking at me. Even though he's not looking at me in the eyes, I can see the shimmer of tears in them. Giving him a sad smile, I reach over and wrap my arms around it. It was one of the ways I knew to help my brothers. Since I am kind of the youngest (although we are not really sure if that's true or not) I feel like when I hug them, they know everything is going okay; at least, that's what I hope.

"Don't worry," I tell him. "Maybe the people will make them go away after a while?"

Sixty-One makes a noise, telling me his doesn't really believe that. My grip around him tightens. Knowing that this wasn't really going to work, I decide to do something else.

"What you should be worried about," I tell him, "is how we are going to explained this to Thirty-Two and Forty-Three. They are going to be not happy when they realize you had a bad nightmare and we didn't tell them."

That gets a chuckle out of him. "Nah," he says lightly and quietly. "They'll never find out."

I laugh lightly at that and hug him tighter. Even though we don't like it here and we go through a lot of bad stuff, I'm glad I have my brothers to be here with me. However, I can't stop worrying about them constantly. What if, one of these days, those white men cause us to break or something? I can only help we will be able to get through it: together.


	6. Chapter 6

**A/N: Sorry for the long wait. I haven't been in the best places mentally lately and stuff. Enjoy this chapter and thank you so much for your support!**

 **Disclaimer: As soon as I take over the world, that will be first on my list ;)**

 **Guest Review Replies:**

 **Guest (June 6th):** **[I hope you get this since you technically reviewed on Ch.1] Man! I knew that would happen at some point! It's actually really hard not to mess up their names or call them by their normal TMNT names ;).Thank you so much for catching that and for letting me know :). I will fix it as soon as I can! :)**

 **Guest (June 7th): Yeah, I may or may not be a mean author where I don't really give the guys a break…*not so innocent smile*. Hey, at least they got a chapter break kind-of-sort-of here ;P. Thank you so much for reviewing! Hope you enjoy the chapter! :)**

April's P.O.V

Despite how much I really want to save the mutant person, I know I have to come up with a plan first. How will I get him out without alarms going off? When I get him out, how will I get him through the halls without grabbing someone's attention? If I do safely get him out of the building, where will I take him? I can't exactly take him home (my dad would freak!) and I can't leave him alone. He's been through so much and is probably weak. Who knows what would happen to him if he was captured all over again...or worse.

Even though I have lost all respect for Stockman and his organization after learning their dark secrets, I continue to come to work everyday. After work, I go home to tell my dad how much I love it there before working on a plan to get out for good, with their captive. I haven't told Dad what I learned because I'm worried how he would react. Since my mom passed away ten years ago, my dad has been pretty overprotective. He would probably try to get me out of there as soon as possible before I can come up with a plan.

So far, I learned how to get rid of most of the information about me by hacking into the system when I should be doing office work or something. Through the same way, I can get rid of any data they have on the tortured mutant. It's possible that I can shut off the security system in that area temporarily, but I can't be positive. I've never actually tried breaking a subject of multiple scientific experiments out of one of the largest science compounds in NYC.

After much thought, I have decided to head to my family's old farmhouse once I free the mutant man. Not only will it keep us isolated and safe from Stockman and his lackeys, but it's also just a comforting and peaceful place. I haven't been there since my grandmother died, giving the house to my dad. Due to it being Mom's favorite places when I was a child and just a busy life, we haven't been there in years. Also, it gives me the perfect excuse to why I want to go there: I want to start seeing how things will be when I move out. I was going to move out in a couple years anyway, so I can tell Dad that I want to start experiencing that.

Once getting completely ready for the day and hearing my stomach rumble too many times to count, I head downstairs to eat some breakfast. Halfway down the stairs, I can already hear the sizzling of bacon and smell something warm being cooked. I have to hand it to my dad; he's a great cook. Whenever he has a free chance, I always wake up to a good meal.

"Good morning, Dad," I greet, walking into the kitchen and patting my dad on the shoulder.

"Morning, Sweetheart," he says turning around to give me a bright smile before sitting the last of the bacon on a paper towel resting on a plate. "Made some pancakes and bacon today. You want some?"

"Sure," I reply, opening the fridge to get out the jug of orange juice to pour myself a glass. In truth, eating is the last thing I want to do. My stomach feels anxious (and slightly nauseous) as my brain continues to make my rescue plan. Despite wanting to just sip some water and get the day basically done as soon as possible, I wasn't going to deny my dad's food. He would probably know something was up, because I normally eat breakfast unless something is bothering.

Taking the plate of warm food Dad hands to me, I sit down as I watch him move around the kitchen, cleaning up his mess. Swallowing a small bite of pancake, I clear my throat. "Hey, Dad?"

"Yes, April?"

"How would you feel about me staying at the Farmhouse for a while," I pause, preparing myself for his reaction, "by myself."

He pauses, seeming to stop the world with him. My father's back is towards me, preventing me from seeing whatever expression lays on his face. Feeling more nervous energy flood me, my foot begins to quickly move, as if trying to hit something invisible next to me. Swallowing, I call for my dad, urging him to answer me.

Sighing, he sits the wet rag he was using to clean the counter down before turning to look at me. His face holds an unsure and slightly nervous expression. "Are you sure April? If you are wanting to go on a small vacation, I'm sure I can find a better place for us to stay at or something."

"Dad," I breath out, standing up and walking towards him. Giving him a gentle smile, I say, "I'm not a little girl anymore; I'm going to need to learn how to take care of myself and, you know, stand on my own to feet." I put emphasis on "own."

Letting out a small sigh, he looks up to give me a small, sad smile, rubbing his hands up and down on my shoulders.

"It often takes me a while to realize how much you have grown over the years," he tells me, his eyes looking closely at my face. Through his eyes, I can see him thinking before his eyes meet mine. "I think it's a good idea," he finally says, the corners of his turning upward a bit more. "It might be good for the both of us."

Giving him a smile of my own, I tell him "Thanks, Dad," before pulling him into an embrace. "I love you."

"I love you, too," I hear him say over my shoulder, kissing the top of my head. We hold each other for a bit, both of us feeling slightly scared and nervous. He was nervous about letting me go, the fear of losing me probably eating at his mind. My fear isn't really related to me being gone for a while; it's more on the topic of how my plan will turn out. During and after the escape, my dad won't be there to comfort me and I won't be there to comfort him. What is Baxter calls him and tells him about his I vanished from his systems and haven't come in for a while? How will my dad take it?

"How long do you think you'll be gone?" my dad asks, breaking the silence and my thoughts.

I shrug between his arms, not really sure how long I will need till the mutant is recovered and finds a place to stay after I free him. "Maybe a week?" I say, my voice sounding unsure. "I'll call you the day before I come back home. I promise."

Whether my dad was unsure of my response, he didn't show it. Instead, he just gives me a small nod and says "Okay."

After a few minutes of staying in each other's arms, we continue on with breakfast. It a quiet, at first, before becoming more and more comfortable and normal. Watching my dad laugh at a joke I heard a couple days back, I clear my throat, trying to hint to him I'm getting serious once again.

"Um, hey, Dad?" start, waiting for him to look up at me to signal have his attention. "There has been a problem with communication around Stockman's Laboratory. So, they might call and ask about where I am; just remind them I'm on vacation, okay?

I feel bad for lying to him, but he seems to have bought it, giving me a nod and telling me "Okay, sure."

Giving him small smile, I put my now clear plate into the sink. Maybe this plan will work after all. Soon, after telling Dad I love him and will come home after work to start packing, I am on my way to Stockman's Laboratory. Before I leave, I grab three peanut butter and jelly sandwiches and two bottles of water, wrapping the sandwiches and sticking everything in an old book bag before walking out of the door.

A good thing about living in New York City is that everything is close by. Walking to Stockman's Laboratory has always been one of my favorite moments in the day. Despite the sounds of people yelling, cars honking, and TVs blaring through store windows, the walk there always gives me a moment to think I have everything under control. Whether I actually do have things under control depends on the day and the situation.

As I turn another corner onto the busy sidewalk, the sound of my phone ringing causes my thinking to come to a stop. Passing another person, I reach into my purse to pull out my cell, feeling it move and buzz in my hand. Allowing my purse to once again rest at my side, I press the green button on the small screen before bringing it up to my ear. "Hello?"

"Hey there, Red," a male voice greets me.

I can't help but roll my eyes at the nickname. Since we met in high school, he has always called me "Red" (unless we are in a serious situation) thanks to my bright red hair. The nickname never really bothered me and it always brings a smile to my face in the end. "Hello, Casey," I reply, a small grin tugging the ends of my lips.

"So, I've been thinking lately."

"That's scary," I interrupt. "I honestly never thought this day would come."

"Haha," Casey replies, his voice sounding monotone and unimpressed. "You really know how to make a guy feel loved, don't you?"

A chuckle is his response. Despite how close we truly are, we never miss a chance at messing with one another. At first, we hated being around each other. One of our teachers asked me to tutor him in hopes of him passing the class. Even though we met every week at the library to work on schoolwork, it was obvious to anyone nearby that we both disliked each other with a passion. He would be unfocused, showing little interest, and constantly joking. I was serious, wanting to get the work done, and got quickly annoyed at his antics. Our behavior towards each other changed when we began learning more about the other. First, we learned we both lost our mothers. Then, we both learned how I felt like expectations were pushing me down while Casey was practically an adult at home due to his unfortunate financial and family problems. As time passed, we slowly began to grow more and more connected, becoming close friends by the end of the year.

"Anyway," Casey starts, "it has been forever since we last hung out. You know, you always working at that smart lab and me helping Dad out at his shop. So, I was thinking about taking a small break this weekend and getting together with you."

Breathing through my nose, I let out a quiet sigh. Of course Casey would want to hang out the same weekend I'm breaking a mutant out of captivity and torture. "Actually, I'm heading out of town for a bit this weekend. We can try another time though, okay?"

"Oh, yeah, sure," he says, and I frown at the tone in his voice.

"Hey, we will get together, alright? Maybe next week or something," I encourage him, trying to sound happy and positive.

"Yeah, I'm sure we will work something out," he tells me, his mood seeming to have brightened up a bit. Noises are distant, sounding like someone was talking to him. "I need to go help Dad out with the shop. I'll talk to you later?"

"Definitely," I agree. "And we will work out a day!"

Hanging up, I let out a small breath of air. It is only now that I realize how much my life will change after making that discovery in the Laboratory. Swallowing hard, I put on a straight, normal face as I continue walking past the crowd of people on the long sidewalk.

Subject 15's P.O.V

My hands still shake at my sides while the ringing in my ears is fading slightly. I do not know what the purpose was to inject me with that forsaken chemical or what it was suppose to accomplish. After what felt like an eternity as I laid on that table with my body shaking, my ears ringing, and dark spots covering my vision, my mind finally gave into unconsciousness. Moments ago, I have awaken to the familiar room that holds the cage I have been resting in for the longest time.

Over the light ringing, I can hear the scientists in the next room speaking among themselves, probably discussing their latest project. Closing my eyes and taking deep breaths, I move my aching body so I am sitting up, my back leaning against the metal bars behind me. My body and mind beg me to allow sleep to take over, pulling us back to the world of unconsciousness. Ignoring the fear of the sadistic men taking me once again, I allow the darkness to wrap me in its embrace.

My eyes open once again as the voices from the men in the other room reach them; I listen to them closely as I observe them slowly fade away until my ears can only pick up a pair of feet walking out of the room. Another voice appears next to where I am guessing the Lab door is, speaking to the person that just left before they both continue on their own path. A small smile crosses my lips as my mind realizes who just walked in. It was the same young woman (still a child in my eyes) who visited me the last couple days.

Since she first walked into this room, I knew in the far reaches of my mind that she was different from the other men and women who has visited me. Her eyes do not hold the power or curiosity the scientists held. This young character has eyes that hold kindness, concern, and a more gentle kind of curiosity and confusion. I continue to look more forward to the next time she will visit me, even though I am slightly concerned on how the people she is working for will treat her once they realize what she is doing in here.

For a few minutes, she is moving around in the Lab, the sounds of the movement of paper following the sound of her feet moving against the tile floor. Curious to watch she is doing, I sit up straighter and strain my ears to hear any noise coming from the other room.

She is muttering to herself in a low voice, most likely anxious over something or thinking aloud. More papers are moving, signaling she is looking through what must be their notes and research. Soon, the clicking of keys reach my sharp ears as she begins to investigate their computers or whatever other technology they have.

Moments past and the sound of her search continue to be heard. My exhausted body was once again thinking about the darkness of sleep when I notice her footsteps coming towards my room. Opening the door, she greets me with a small smile, carrying a book bag on her back. Leaving the door slightly open, the woman comes toward me before sitting down on the cold ground, her legs crossing each other as if she were a child eager to hear a story.

"Sorry about being kind of late," she tells me. "I had to check out what their security was and all that. I also had to make sure they can't hear our conversation."

Normally, I would try harder to keep my face hard and neutral. Since I was first brought in here, I did not want these scientists to know that my mind was the mind if a man, not a rat. If they were to know, I can only imagine what glee they would get from the discovery as well as what more torturous acts they would bring. However, with this girl who is already aware of the truth, I allow a small glint of amusement and happiness to escape onto my features. The girl must have noticed it, for the smile grows on her face.

"Here, I was able to grab this for you," she tells me, reaching into her bag to pull out a small sandwich and a bottle of water. The smell of peanut butter and jelly fills my nostrils as I feel my stomach clench tightly. With slow, gentle movement, she extends her arms, sliding the sandwich and bottle through the metal bars. Despite the pain in my stomach, I slowly reach out and take the food. I do not want to greedily reach for the food, acting just like the animal I am fighting not to be; however, I also don't want to startle her.

As a reach for the food, a part of me tells myself that I shouldn't put all my trust into her, yet; after all, I have only known her for a couple days. Yet, as I glance into her sky blue eyes, I cannot resist the urge to have faith in her. Not only might she be my only chance of survival or a way out of here, but she has so much more potential than at least half of the people I have met in my lifetime.

Once my fingers wrap around the items tightly, I pull them back to my chest. Sitting the water bottle on the ground, I look up to find her pulling out a sandwich of her own, unwrapping it before bringing it to her mouth. Attempting not to look too desperate or eager for the small meal, I copy her movements and take a bite. Closing my eyes, I let out a sigh of pleasure and joy. It has been so long since I have eaten anything like this. The small snack feels more like a five star meal.

"Thank you," I say quietly before I change my mind, my voice sounding raspy after its lack of being used.

Pausing, with her mouth open and her sandwich halfway there, her eyes widen. Lowering the food, her mouth opens and closes slightly in surprise, obviously not expecting any words to come out of my mouth. Her surprise causes me to chuckle as she closes her mouth and attempts to rid the shock from her face. I smile in amusement as I take another slow bite, allowing myself to enjoy the flavor and texture of this dearly missed food.

"You're welcome," she says after a minute, giving me a smile before taking another bite of her sandwich. Quickly swallowing it, she gives me a knowing smirk. "So, you can talk."

I chuckle between chewing, meeting her sparkling eyes. "Yes, I may have the appearance of a rat, but I have a human mind."

Her face expression turns serious and slightly uncomfortable. "And they don't know?"

I shake my head, lifting the food towards me after saying, "No. They have might not even thought about it being a possibility. Even the most brilliant of people have a tendency to overlook the small details."

Nodding in agreement, the young woman opens the her own bottle of water she pulled out of her bag to take a swallow, causing my throat to tighten at the sudden realization of how thirsty my body is. With one hand, I open my own bottle before slowly drinking it. My body relaxes as the cool water travels down my throat till it reaches my almost full stomach.

"I'm sorry I wasn't able to give you more food or water," she says, getting my attention again. "I would have brought more but I didn't want the others to know or for you to get sick at the sudden and larger amount of food than you are use to."

Shaking my head, I close the cap to the bottle tightly. "You have nothing to apologize for, child. You have been so kind and generous to me lately. There is no way I can repay you."

"Maybe you can start by telling me about that accent of yours," she says, leaning forward in slight curiosity. "Is it Japanese?"

"Hai," I reply, swallowing another bite of my almost gone meal. "It is where I have lived before I came to America. However, I would rather explain at another time." Watching me gesture to the room, her head moves in an agreement motion, understanding what I was trying to explain.

"Oh! I guess I should introduce myself," she tells me, extending her hand through the dark, metal bars. "My name is April. April O'Neil."

As I reach for her small, pale hand, I allow the the corners of my mouth to stay upward. "It is a pleasure to meet you Miss O'Neil. I would give you my name as well, but I am not the same man as I was before."

She gives me a confused look. "What do you mean?"

"My life has changed forever when I transformed and was brought here, never to be the same again. Besides the fact that I do not want anyone here to know my true name, I am not sure if I can hold or live up to that name anymore."

April gives me a warm smile. "It's like you said before, you have only changed your appearance, not your mind. But, if you want to, I can call you something else. "

Thinking for a minute, my mind races with names. Names from friends, names from famous people I gave admired, and names from far family that I have loved appear in my thoughts. As Fate would have it, an old memory flashes through me, one that was buried deep into my mind. Chuckling, I return my gaze to April. "You can call me 'Splinter.'"

Her face once again sends me a confused expression, causing me to grin and chuckle again. "'Splinter?'"

"Indeed. When I was a child, I was hotheaded and arrogant, thinking highly of myself. So, when I asked my father to teach me martial arts, he told me I had to solve a riddle. The riddle was 'When you went into the woods you got me. You hated me yet you wanted to find me.

You went home with me cause you couldn't find me. What am I?' Every guess my mind would come up with was rejected by my father. Sadly, I gave up, my hope for learning martial arts fading into the wind. It wasn't until days later when I was playing in the woods and received a large splinter in my hand. As my mother helped remove it from my hand, the answer finally came to me. With so much excitement and pride, I told my father that the answer was 'a splinter.' The look on my father's face is what made that memory so memorable. In both his and the memory's honor, you can call me Splinter."

"I like it," she states, giving me a smile. "It has a nice ring to it. So you know martial arts then?"

I tilt my head back as I swallow the last of my water, savoring it for I knew it will be awhile till I received more. Once the last of the liquid is gone, I hand April the water before meeting her gaze. "I would prefer to explain it without the threat of other people becoming aware of my talent in combat."

She nods in understanding, looking down with a look on her face. It is unknown to me whether that face was a sign of thinking/concentration or disappointment. Before I can contemplate what the expression is, she looks up at men her face holding determination. "I'm going to get you out of here." Her head turns so her gaze lands on the door before giving me her attention once again. "I can erased all the data and information on us, put the cameras on a loop so they won't realize we have left, and I can take you to a safe place." April's eyes look at the floor as she says, "I just don't know how to get you out of here without anyone stopping us."

"Leave that to me," I say, my voice sounding stronger than I originally intended. "As you provide a way for us to get to a safe location and to cover the cameras, I can take it from there."

A smiles grows on her lips and the glint returns to her eyes. "We are going to get you out of here, tomorrow, at this time. If we do it when they are at lunch, it would give us less problems."

I nod in agreement. "Then we have a plan." Giving her a gracious smile, I say, "Thank you, April O'Neil."

Zipping up her bag, making sure no evidence of her being here can be seen, she stands up while wiping whatever dirt lays on her clothes. Smiling she says, "Absolutely no problem," before walking to the door. Before exiting the room, she turns to look at me. "The scientists won't come back for a while because they have some sort of meeting after lunch. It would be good to get some rest before tomorrow."

And with that, she leaves me alone. Closing my eyes and enjoying both the silence and the absence of hunger and thirst, I breath in a deep breath before releasing the air through my mouth. Slipping into meditation, I begin to plan and prepare myself for , April and I will escape the hands of these monsters.

 **A/N: For any/all Casey fans out there, thank Arya Dela for bringing Casey into the AHLTL story many chapters before I originally planned ;)**


	7. Chapter 7

**A/N:** **Have you ever had someone review your story in Spanish and since you have taken a couple Spanish classes in high school you try to reply to them in both English and Spanish and STILL feel like an idiot? ...I have, a couple times. I always feel bad at my sad attempts to communicate and show gratitude ;).**

 **Disclaimer:** **I got an old telephone that has the spin dial thing, but no turtles, sadly.**

 **A few review replies:**

 **Rhodesincolumbus:** **Hey! I was unable to PM you [ :( ] so, instead, I shall reply to your review this way! :) Welcome to the story and I'm glad you are enjoying it! It means a lot! They will never discover the boys! Nah, just kidding; they will in the** **near** **future. Be patient, child ;). Thanks for reviewing! :) :) :)**

 **Guest (July 28th):** **Here's some more of A Hard Life To Live! I'm glad you are enjoying the story and thank you so much for reviewing! :) :) :)**

 **Guest/NinjaQueen64:** **Cool name! ;) Thank you for the compliment from your review from chapter 1! And yes, I'm quite skilled in the art of cliffhangers from time-to-time ;) As for your many questions, I am willing to answer one. In this AU, the turtles do not have a past with Splinter. They have never met and do not know of their existence. "Brilliant author"? Aw! That really warms my heart! Thank you for the compliments and the reviews! Here is your update and thank you for being patient! :) :) :)**

 **MoonMaiden7241969** **:** **I'm glad you are enjoying the story! Hope you enjoy this chapter and thank you so much for reviewing! :) :) :)**

Thirty-Two's P.O.V

Blinking my eyes, I get rid of the urge to return to bed again. I am welcomed with darkness, a darkness I have now become familiar with. It has been a couple weeks (according to Sixty-One) since I have lost my sight. Since then, I learned how to feel and hear everything around me. My brothers have their own habits like Sixty-Three is always moving something, Forty-Three pops his fingers and knuckles, and Sixty-One is normally muttering under his breath or thinking aloud. Over time, I began to pick out small things about them so it is easier to tell who is who in the dark.

Turning my head, my ears pick up the sound of flesh hitting the ground. Immediately, I know who it is and quickly sit up. Ignoring the headache and dizziness, I race to Sixty-Three as he is moving and hitting the ground. Sixty-One says it is called a "seizure" or something like that. It has been happening for a couple days after the people took him for a really long time. He could never stay still, but after the visit, he seemed to get more energy. Then, seizure-things have been happening, causing him to move and jerk for a couple minutes. They don't last long, but they are scary and feel like they last for hours.

We know how to deal with it now, thanks to Sixty-One, so I don't wake up the others. After all, Sixty-One had a really bad nightmare earlier and Forty-Three was taken earlier today and is really tired. Instead, I quickly fall to my knees after the noise sounds so close to me. Reaching out with my hand, I feel for my youngest brother. (We don't technically know who is younger, but we kind of made him the youngest because of how he acts and how we act around him.)

My hand feels Sixty-Three's arm; it jerks and moves up from the ground before hitting it again and moving to the side. It was like someone was shocking him. Barely touching his smooth body, I move my hand upward until I feel his head. Quickly and gently, I move towards it before lifting it up and setting it on my knees. Sixty-One told us to do this so he doesn't hit his head against the ground and get hurt really bad.

I grit my teeth when his head hits my legs hard, making them hurt a little. Pretending not to notice, I try to rub my brothers arm. They keep moving away from my grasp, but I want Sixty-Three to know I am here for him, and won't be leaving any time soon.

Besides being here for my brother, there is not a lot I can do. If I try to hold his limbs to the ground, it would hurt him. My brother told me to just let Sixty-Three move like this and be there for him until it is over.

The first time this happened, we were really scared. Sixty-One tried helping him, not really knowing what to do and talking to himself really loud. He only talks to himself loudly when he is nervous or scared. I can still remember how shaky his voice was. My brother was probably fearing for Sixty-Three's life, just like me and Forty-Three.

I joined Forty-Three at the door, I remember. We were banging the door and yelling for people to help. After a few minutes, though, I had to move away and try to help Sixty-One because Forty-Three began screaming and bunching his fists harder against the cool, metal door. To this day, I don't know if he was really scared or having a small episode, but he started punching and kicking the door while yelling and screaming. Knowing that I wasn't going to be able to calm him down without getting hurt, I went to help calm Sixty-One down and ask him what I could do to help. Luckily, Sixty-Three's "attack," as we call it, didn't last long and he soon stopped moving and went to sleep. He got really tired and didn't want to talk about it for a really long time.

Quietly, trying not waking up my other brothers, I whisper to Sixty-Three. "It's going to be okay," I tell him. "It won't last too much longer. You're going to be okay." I keep telling him things like this, hoping I can help him even if it's just a little. There is no way I can imagine what pain my brother is feeling, and it hurts me to know there is nothing I can do to stop it or make him feel better. If there was anyway I could trade places with him, even if it was for a day, I would do it in a heartbeat.

His fit probably only lasts about a minute, but it feels like an eternity filled with my brother's shaking form bumping into my body. Sixty-Three's body gives a final jerk before he goes limp, giving a painful groan. Despite his quick movement coming to an end, I continue to rub his arm while whispering to him reassuringly.

"Thanks," he whispers to me, sounding exhausted. Smiling, not sure if he can even see my face, I trace down his arm till I find his hand and give it a light squeeze.

"How you feeling?" I ask quietly. I hear him shift, probably shrugging lightly, before telling me he feels sore and tired. Leaning forward, I move my head so it rests on his.

"Are the guys still sleeping?"

"Yeah," I answer, not moving my head. "I think we can all say we have had a long day."

My brother chuckles dryly. "You can say that again." There was a pause of silence between us. His breathing reaches my ears, sounding loud thanks to him being so close. It's slightly panted, as if he is out of breath, but it's still fairly quiet. If I listen hard enough, I can hear Sixty-Ones quiet breathing, sounding even and deep, hopefully sleeping much better than he did earlier. Forty-Three's breathing has always been the loudest of the brother's, I learned. He snores lightly from where he is sleeping, something we have all become used to.

"I'm really getting tired of this," Sixty-Three tells me after awhile. "Not just of these...whatever One calls them-"

"Seizures."

"Yeah, seizures. I'm not just sick of them, but of everything. Forty-Three's fits, Sixty-One's episodes and nightmares, your eyes, and everything else those meanies put us through!" Lifting up my head, I place my free hand over his forehead, trying to silently telling him to keep his voice down if he wants to prevent our brothers from waking up. He gets quiet again before saying, "Do you think we'll ever get out of here?"

The sound of his voice causes me to cringe. It makes him sound younger, desperate for hope, and sad. Putting on a fake smile, I lean forward slightly in hopes of Sixty-Three seeing it. "Sure we will," I tell him, trying to sound like I believe my own words.

Whether he believes it or not, I can feel his body relax slightly. "What do you think it's like?"

"What?"

"The place outside of here?" he explains. I notice his breathing has now even out a bit more, telling me whatever soreness he was feeling is letting up slightly. That, or exhaustion is getting to him.

"I don't know," I answer. Honestly, the outside world kind of scares me. It took me a while just to get to where I am after I couldn't see anymore. Just trying to imagine a bigger place with no walls I can walk around until I get it kind of freaks me out. Of course, I may never have to worry about it if we never get out.

"I think it is really bright," Sixty-Three starts, "but a good bright. It's not like the lights that are really white and hurt your eyes like in here, but nice, warm, bright lights.. Kind of like the one they use to keep us warm."

Out of all of us, Sixty-Three has the most and the best imagination. There have been really bad nights where he would create fake worlds and stories to try to cheer us up. Knowing he will most likely go on until he falls asleep, I lean my back against the wall comfortably, listening to my brother describe a beautiful and peaceful setting that I try to picture in my mind.

The last thing I'm aware of before I fall asleep myself, is my brother quietly talking about water that seems to sparkle and glow between a large yawn. As my mind becomes distant, colors flash around my eyes in a beautiful dream. I picture my three brothers as I remember them before I started always wearing the bandage around my eyes to prevent infection. They are all laying on a large stone on my left and right. Turning my head to look at them, they all give me a warm smile. Sixty-Three's smile grows just before he slides off the giant rock into the sparkling water next to us. One by one, we join him, laughing and smiling the entire time.

Maybe leaving this room and living in the outside world wouldn't be so bad after all.

 **A/N: Happy Labor Day!**


	8. Chapter 8

{Leo=32 (12+5+15)

Raph=43 (10+1+16+8)

Donnie=61 (4+15+14+14+9+5)

Mikey=63 (13+9+11+5+25)}

 **A/N: Man, it was exactly a month since I have last updated this story...it feels shorter. Anyway,** **here** **is the chapter all of you have been waiting for… Hope you enjoy!**

 **Disclaimer: I own no TMNT...**

 **Some Review Replies:**

 **Guest (September 8):** **Yeah, the poor guys have been through a lot! Maybe this chapter will lift your spirits a bit ;).**

April's P.O.V

"Okay, Dad, I'm all packed!" I call, from my room, carrying the last of my bags downstairs. Not too long after my voice reaches the kitchen do I hear my dad coming up to meet me halfway. With a smile on his face, he offers to take one of my bags. Handing him one to carry for me, I follow him towards the door.

"Man," he says quietly while shaking his head with a smirk pulling on his lips. "I forgot how quickly you get packed. Since you were a little girl, you only needed ten minutes to be fully ready to go."

A small spark of heat extends on my cheeks as a chuckle escapes my mouth. "I was always excited to go anywhere," I explain, setting my bags on the ground so I can put on my shoes. "Going to a new place, seeing new things, exploring the unknown, it was all a blast!"

It takes me a while for my shaking fingers to tie the laces of my shoes. Last night, I had the hardest time sleeping, thoughts of stealing and escaping someone and running away from one of the best and well-known science facility scares me. Sure, I have a plan and I have been thinking about it for a while; but, still, my hands shake and my stomach tightens painfully at the thought. Swallowing my worry, I stand up straight, giving my dad a warm smile.

Before I can tell him I will miss him, he gives me a wide smile and says, "I almost forgot! I was going to let you use my old car! My friends and I would always hang out and go to all sorts of places in it. We ended up calling it 'The Party Wagon.'"

"'The Party Wagon?'" I repeat, curious by the name. My father only smirks at me before heading out of the door, carrying half my luggage as I follow him with the other half.

"Oh," is all I can get out by the time I see the van that was part of my dad's younger years. The bright yellow van was painted a variety of colors, spelling "LOVE" on the side with a heart instead of an 'O.' On the front, is a very large, rainbow peace sign under the word "LOVE" that was on the top of the vehicle. Lines of colorful paints decorate the top, looking like a hippie's greatest creation.

"It's great, isn't it?" he asks, a proud smile on his face. The joy I see in his eyes cause me to smile softly as I walk over to him to give him a hug.

"It's perfect," I tell him, not wanting to hurt his feelings by telling the true disgust I feel about the rainbow van in front of me. It almost reminds me of a child's toy, decorated to catch the small kid's attention in a store before practically getting on their hands and knees to beg their mother to get it for them. Well, I shouldn't be doing a lot of driving in town, anyway.

"Great!" he exclaims, his hand searching for something in his pocket. My dad soon pulls out a key chain with an orange key with a rainbow peace sign. "Take good care of her for me."

I chuckle, taking the keys and telling him "I will." It was after those words leave my mouth, I lean forward to give him another hug. "Thanks, Dad. I love you; and I'll miss you."

His arms wrap around my back as he rests his chin on my shoulder. "I love you, too," I hear him say. "And I'll miss you, as well."

Once we leave each other's embrace we each send the other a smile before putting the bags in the car. Without exchanging another word, I get into the driver's seat, putting the keys into the van and bringing it back to life. Turning my head to the right, I find my father watching me sadly from the sidewalk, his arms wrapped around himself. Waving to him, I try to send him a reassuring smile. It must have worked, for he sends me another smile and releases one arm to send me a wave. Next thing I know, I'm driving towards Stockman's Laboratory for probably the last time.

Halfway to the lab, my phone rings loudly, vibrating against the armrest in between the driver and passenger seats. Without taking my eyes off the road, I allow one hand to release its grip on the steering wheel to search for the device. The vibrations of the phone shake my hand as my fingers wrap around it. Glancing at the device, I look at the screen to find the green "Accept Call" button before returning my gaze to the road and bringing my phone to my ear. "Hello?"

"Hey, Red!"

"Hey, Casey," I say, pressing my foots against the brakes as the light turns red. "What's up?"

"I was wondering how long you going to be out of town? The ice rink is going to be free for a while; we still need to perfect your skills on the ice."

There is no way I could stop my wince from shaking my body. Since high school, Casey has been trying to share his passion for hockey with me. Over time, he has been teaching the rules, the teams, the players, and what channel to watch it on. Now, I am willing to sit next to him and watch a game every now and then; but, I still can't skate on the ice and play with him. Although, despite my failed attempts at skating, he has never given up on me.

"Well, I'm not entirely sure how long I'm staying at the farmhouse, but you will be the first to know; sound good, Casey?"

His sigh comes through the speaker. "I guess," I can practically hear the smile grow on his face, "just remember how impatient I am."

"How could I forget?" I ask, grinning as well. It disappears, though, as I come up to the laboratory, parking in the area I know has the least amount of cameras. Finally, it was time. "Hey," I start, trying to sound as normal as possible, "I'm at work. I'll call you later, okay?"

There was a slight pause before he says, "Sure, Red. I'll talk to you later."

Giving him a short bye, I hang up the phone and let out a small sigh, trying to calm my racing heart. Taking in a deep breath, I grab my book bag before getting out of the van. Keeping my eyes on the door in front of me, my feet quicken their pace. We only have a short period of time before most of the workers come in this morning.

Opening the door, I quietly shut it behind me. Not normally coming this way, I didn't want to attract any unwanted attention. My shoes hitting the ground to seem as loud as an air horn, breaking the silence with every step I take. It took all my willpower to get my hands unclenched as I silently promised my shoes that I would throw them away as soon as I got to the farmhouse.

As soon as the dark promise left my thoughts, my attention is drawn to Baxter Stockman, coming towards me with a gentle smile. Putting a smile on my lips, I continue to walk towards him, wanting to greet him quickly and continue on my mission; unfortunately, he had other plans.

"Miss O'Neil," he cheers stopping in front of me. "I didn't realize you were coming in early." Looking at the clock above him on the right, I notice how instead of coming between five to ten minutes early, I came a half hour early.

"I just wanted to get some extra work done," I explain with an innocent smile. "Actually, I should probably get going before the labs get too crowded."

After he gives me an understanding nod and waves for me to continue, I silently thank God for the luck. Trying my best to remember where the security room was, I keep my pace as quick and as normal as possible. Fortunately, not many people were in yet; the ones who were here appeared to be half asleep from getting up early or just ending a night shift. Cheering to myself silently, I find the door with the word "SECURITY" on it in black lettering.

Opening the door, I find one person sitting in the office chair, staring at the office monitors with his chin held in his hand. He seems bored, his eyes scanning each screen silently before glancing at the digital clock next to him. Obviously, he is as ready to leave as I am ready to get this plan into action.

Clearing my throat, his head jerks towards me, his tired eyes show confusion and curiosity. Smiling at him, I say, "Baxter Stockman just wanted me to tell you that you can go get a quick breakfast while you wait for the next person to cover."

The shock is obvious, his eyes blinking at me quickly. "Really?"

I shrug, pretending to not really know. "He must be in a really good mood or something today, I guess."

That's all the reasoning and explanation he needs. Without another glance at the monitors, he grabs his jacket resting on the back of the chair. Not even meeting my eyes, he moves quickly out of the room, letting the door shut slowly behind him.

Sighing in relief for not needing to create any additional information, I race to the seat, knowing how little time I have. Reaching into my bag with one hand, I use the other to take me to the certain section of the computer's settings I need to go to. Within seconds, I plug in a small flash drive, watching the progress bar slowly fill with the green color. As soon as it reads "100%" and takes me to a small menu of options, I quickly type in the activation code as well as a couple commands.

Last night I was able to create the series of codes that will serve as our ticket out of here. Once typing in the commands I have memorized, it will allow everything to activate during lunch time, the same time all the scientists that are working on Splinter will be out of the room. After putting in a couple videos that will serve as loops to distract security and keep them unaware of our escape, it will play them and shut down the automatic alarms temporarily. I was only able to create the series of hacks to last roughly a half an hour, hopefully giving us plenty of time to get out of here and have a head start to the farmhouse.

While the flash drive accepts and processes the codes, I minimize the screen and search through old video footage for the program to use. After cutting a small section of a video that will be pretty convincing and will fool the security guards, I force the screen to take a smaller size, putting it next to the screen with my codes. Dragging the cropped video to it, I watch the program except the videos, a green thumbs-up appearing in the bottom of the right hand corner. Smiling to myself, I quickly close the screens before standing up from the chair and getting out of there as quickly as possible.

Everything is set; all I have to do now is wait for lunch to roll around.

By the time the clock above me read noon, I am already walking out of the door with my hands slightly shaking. Quickly grabbing the food I am suppose to give to Splinter without even giving the cook a "Thank you," my feet carry me to my mutant friend. Swallowing hard, I keep my eyes forward, not wanting to attract any attention or get myself pulled into a conversation that will only keep me from my goal.

Blinking my eyes, I find myself looking at Lab 484, not remembering the journey on getting here. Swallowing hard, I look down at my phone. The program has been activated already two minutes ago, meaning all the cameras and alarms won't notice us and keep us in the clear. Smiling to myself, I quickly shut the door behind me, setting the tray of food onto the nearest counter. Within seconds, I am opening any and all cabinets, trying to find the key card to open the cage. Throwing a stack of papers aside, causing them to fly in all directions, I find it laying upside down. Grabbing it quickly and running towards the small room with Splinter inside, I yank the door open, my eyes quickly scanning to meet his.

His brown eyes stare back at me, a look of shock and confusion appearing in them. After a second, though, it is gone in a second. Receiving a nod of understanding, I race to him with the key card ready in my right hand. Bringing it to the small slot, I take a minute to look up at him. Though I'm sure he is slightly nervous for this break out, I can't see it in his eyes; I can only see determination, maybe a bit of excitement as well?

"Are you ready?" I ask him.

He gives me a small smile. "Yes," he tells me with a nod.

Not wanting to keep him any longer, I swipe the card, smiling when the small light turns green and the sound of the small door unlocking fills my ears.

 **A/N: Because I wanted to update this and prevent you guys waiting even LONGER, I split this rescue into two parts. (And because I'm kind of mean) Don't you guys just love me? ;)**


	9. Chapter 9

**A/N: Have you ever had someone review your story in Spanish and since you have taken a couple Spanish classes in high school you try to reply to them in both English and Spanish and STILL feel like an idiot? ...I have, a couple times. I always feel bad at my sad attempts to communicate and show gratitude ;).**

 **Disclaimer: I got an old telephone that has the spin dial thing, but no turtles, sadly.**

 **Some Review Replies:**

 **Rhodesincolumbus:** **Whahaha! The horrible cliffhangers and their suspension! :) Thank you so much for reviewing! Hopefully the wait is worth this chapter! :) :) :)**

 **Guest (October 8th):** **Yes! The journey to escape the horrible prison has begun! I'm glad you are excited and enjoying my story! Thank you for reviewing! :) :) :)**

 **MoonMaiden7241969:** **I'm glad you are enjoying the story so far! Sorry for the wait on this chapter! Hope you enjoy it and thank you so much for the review! :) :) :)**

{L=32 (12+5+15)

R=43 (10+1+16+8)

D=61 (4+15+14+14+9+5)

M=63 (13+9+11+5+25)}

Splinter's P.O.V

Since Miss O'Neil rescued me, my heart has been unable to slow down its quickened beats. Adrenaline I haven't felt for what seems like an eternity travels through my veins. If I wasn't forced to be so cautious and quiet, I would have ran down the halls, enjoying the feeling of being able to move so freely once again. However, I must currently be thankful for just being able to stretch my legs, savoring the feeling of running for another day.

"Most people will be at lunch," April whispers next to me, moving quietly next to me as we move down the hallway. "However, there will still be some stragglers and security. "

"We must be cautious," I agree, my ears twitching as I listen for any people coming our way. "Stay behind and close to me, Miss O'Neil."

"Just April," she tells me quietly, sending me a soft smile. There is no way to hold back from smiling back before I continue to focus forward. According to April, security is down and the cameras will not alert anyone of our presence; however, I can't stop the goosebumps that travel across my skin underneath my fear every time I hear the slightest sounds. I can also feel the tension coming off of April in waves, alerting me that she is just as alert and nervous as I am.

The sound of footsteps come from around the corner, causing me to stop and extend my arm, causing April to abruptly stop behind me. I turn around to look at her and send her a nod, silently telling her that I can take care of it. In response, she sends me a nod accompanied with a serious expression. Taking a step forward, giving myself some more space, I slowly move into a defensive stance.

Seconds later, three people come around the corner, a scientist and two men dressed in dark clothes with "Security" written on their sleeves. Their eyes widen comically at the sight of me; whether they have seen me before or not, they were obviously not expecting me to greet them. I do not even give their minds time to process before I strike, targeting the security guard on the left first. Darting forward, I send my left elbow to his stomach, knocking the air out of him in an instant, before striking his head with my right elbow. He falls in an instant, not even making a sound.

My attack gave the other guard time to snap out of his shocked state. He charges towards me, reaching for whatever weapon rests in his belt. Moving quickly, I slide behind him before lowering my body and knocking his feet out from underneath him. I am unable to knock him unconscious, though, when the scientist makes a break for it. Worried he would try to alert other workers of our presence, I run towards him. After being trained in the way of Ninjutsu, I quickly met up with him. Grabbing his arm, I use his momentum to swing him into the wall, his head making a painful thud when it connects. The man crumbles, leaving me with the security guard that has managed to pick himself up.

He moves to tackle me, most likely treating me as if I was a thief or a gunsman. It was obvious to me that he was not trained to take down a ninja master. Sliding slightly to the side, I bring my knee up at the last second to connect with his chest, feeling his ribs crack and vibrate against my force. The man lets out a painful groan before I strike him in the temple, causing him to fall to the ground. Once I was certain that all three were down, I return my attention to April, making sure she was alright.

Her wide eyes met mine, showing her surprise after watching my attacks. For a moment, I fear she thinks I am a monster. What if she begins to think I am the animal the scientists who have been experimenting on me believe I am? Luckily, she sends me a small smirk, causing my fear to slowly disappear.

"Remind me not to get on your bad side," she jokes to me quietly, before walking past me and over the fallen bodies. "Come on," she commands, her voice returning to its serious tone. "We are almost there."

Smiling slightly, I quickly follow her, my ears once again listening for the sign of any personnel coming onto our path. Not too long later, we run into our next obstacle. Two large double doors stand in our way. April slides her key card through the small slot; however, unlike the other doors we have ran into, the small light turns red, the door remaining locked. My eyes widen as April lets out a small series of curses under her breath as she continues to slide her card.

The thought of breaking down the doors pop in my head. However, I quickly dismiss it, not wanting to cause so much ruckus that more people are alerted of our little escape. Turning back, I remember the scientist that I have taken down earlier.

"Would the scientist we have earlier ran into have a key card that could get us through?" I ask, causing April to stop her attempts of unlocking the door.

She takes a moment to think before looking up at me and sending me a nod. "Maybe; I'll be right back." Before I can even think to argue, she is gone, quietly racing down the hallway. I must be honest, I am impressed with her stealth despite the fact she lacks any ninja training.

Looking through the windows the rest on the door, I remain alert as I wait for my friend. If I look closely, I can see the door that would soon lead me to the freedom I have once thought I would never see again. Simply imagining the feel of fresh air causes my heart to thump loudly.

My thoughts are soon interrupted when I hear a small, quiet yell. As soon as I lift up my head to pay more attention to the voice, it goes away, returning to its original silence. Beginning to think it is my own imagination, I look down the hallway, hoping April will return soon. Before I can move to look for her, Another yelp fills my ears, a little louder than before. There is no doubt in my mind that there is someone else here, someone young and in pain based off of the tone of the voice.

"I got it," a voice says breaking me out of my trance. I turn to find April running towards me, a proud smile on her face as she lifts the card high. "Let's see if this thing works."

"Before we attempt to use it," I start, raising my hand up to cause her to pause, "there is something else of higher importance. How many cameras have you shut down?"

She blinks, not expecting that question. "The cameras in this hallway as well as a couple in nearby hallways. Why?"

"There is someone else here," I tell her slowly walking towards the direction I hear the cries of pain. "I am sure someone is being tortured the same way I have been. I cannot escape knowing I have left someone to suffer the same fate I have suffered."

April is silent, thinking about what I just said. With my eyes, I try to tell her that I am determined and desperate for her to join me in my idea. I silently beg her to turn this escape mission into a rescue mission as well. She looks down at her watch, most likely seeing how much time we have left, before she gives a smile and a nod of agreement. "Lead the way."

Fighting the urge to release a sigh of relief, I give her a grateful smile before moving forward quickly. A lump forms in my throat when another short cry can be heard, sounding louder as we shorten the distance between us. I take a minute to glance back at my new friend to find her looking serious and determined, no doubt hearing the voice now.

Another cry causes me to stop and turn my head to the side. Just as I expect, there is another lab door, no windows revealing the horror that has to be waiting for us inside. Turning to April, I watch as she moves towards the door. Swiping the card against the scanning next to the know, she waits for the beep before pushing the door harshly less than a second later. Following right behind her, our eyes fall on the scene roughly at the same time. Four scientists have their back towards us, all of them observing the same thing. As if in slow motion, I watch as they slowly turn to discover us with eyes widening, revealing what they are so interested in.

In a large, white chair that I remember seeing at a dentist office before being mutated lays in the center of the room. What was different about this one, is the small mutant that rests on it, gripping the armrests with their three-fingered hands. It was a turtle, a child no older than seven years old. The creature's body shakes, a grim, pained expression lays on its face. A large headset, covered with hundreds of wires in a variety of shapes and sizes, cover the creature's head, hovering over their eyes and preventing me from seeing them. However, I don't need to see the eyes to know it is suffering and scared.

My heart began to feel a new version of hatred as my gaze turns to the men who were causing and watching the child's pain. I have known that these were sick-minded people, too desperate to discover new knowledge than to realize how much of their humanity they were losing; however, I was not aware that they would go to such levels. Before I am able to act out on the rage I am feeling, April beats me to it. From taking a quick glance at her face, I know her spirit is burning just as bright and as hot as mine. With great speed, she grabs the nearest thing, an unfortunate metal tray, and hit the nearest scientist. I will not lie, my eyes widen in shock of how much strength she put into the strike, knocking the woman unconscious.

The shock inside me is short-lived, though, and I use the others' shock to my advantage. This battle is shorter than the battle between me, the guards, and the scientist from earlier in the hallway. Within seconds, all of them are on the ground, sleeping and destined to have great headaches when they wake. A small smile crosses my face as I picture them complaining about the pain they will hopefully feel.

A small cry snaps me out of my thoughts, returning my mind back to reality. Turning my attention back to the small, mutant turtle, I find it still flinching and shaking. Realizing that the wires must be causing the child pain, I move forward, eager to remove the horrible looking device.

"Wait!" April cries, causing me to freeze in my movements before turning to look at her. She stands next to a computer, the fire still burning in her eyes but slightly more dim. It's obvious she is still angry of the scientists' actions; however, she is calming herself. "You may do more harm than good; give me a minute and I'll find a way to remove them."

I nod, thankful that I have her with me. My heart would have been crushed if I ended up hurting the child beyond healing. So, I patiently wait for April as she leans over the bright screen, her fingers quickly pressing down on a variety of keys. It takes much willpower to keep myself from tapping my foot, my patience and the energy inside me slowly disappearing. Blocking out the ideas of being free from this horrible complex (which would only increase my impatience) I allow my mind to wander slightly.

"Done!" my friend exclaims, jolting me back into the real world. Blinking a few times, I watch April race to the small child, allowing her to have the joy in saving another creature. With delicate and careful movements, she slowly lifts up the helmet that holds the colorful wires from the child's head. Still suffering from the aftermath of the painful treatment, the creature continues to shiver, its bottom lip quivering as ragged, heavy breaths escape its mouth. Dark, wide brown eyes, almost taking a shade of red, look up at the girl. It leans away from her slightly, but April only gives him a smile.

"Hey, there," she says softly, carefully sitting the technology to the side. "My name's April, what's yours?"

The child doesn't reply; he simply watches her cautiously but with a hint of curiosity. It's my guess that he is wondering who she is and why she is here. After all, in my experience, it was very rare to see a new face during experiments. Noticing his eyes glancing up at me and becoming larger, I give him a small smile and a nod, hopefully telling the child silently that it can trust April.

"I promise, we aren't going to hurt you," April continues, returning the mutant's focus to her. "We're going to get you out of here, okay?"

For a minute, I wonder if the creature can understand us. Fortunately, I am proven wrong. After taking a couple moments to study both April and myself, the creature gives a small, wary nod. Smiling at the response, April slowly reaches towards its arm, trying her best not to startle the creature. Noticing the muscle in the child's arm tighten, my heart hurts at how hard it is for the mutant to trust the human girl. Luckily, the more time the turtle spent with her, the more it seemed his curiosity won over his fear. It allows her to touch his arm, studying her fingers and her face as she did so.

"April," I interrupt, my voice startling both of them slightly, "we must leave."

She nods in understanding before turning back to the child. "We have to go now; do you think you can walk?"

The child looks down at its own feet, as if deciding if they can hold his weight. It's not long before he looks back up at her and gives her a nod, a small smile pulling at the corners of his own mouth. Sending the kame a smile in return, she carefully helps lower it to the ground. Making sure both of them seem ready to go, I lead the way, stepping over the fallen scientists. We just make it back to the hallway when I hear a small gasp. Panicking, I turn around sharply, finding myself looking down and meeting the eyes of the small child.

"My brothers," it says, allowing me to discover the mutant is a boy thanks to his voice. "We have to get my brothers!"

"There are more of you?" April asks, her eyes wide. Receiving the boy's confirmation, she looks down at her watch. Looking back up at me, I notice the slight panic and fear that lays behind her eyes. We don't have much time, I conclude, letting out a small sigh. Most likely, April is wondering if we should risk all of our lives or make out with what we can; similar thoughts that are racing through my mind.

Bending down on my knees, I bring myself eye-level to the boy who has seen too much for his age. His eyes are wide and his breathing is quick, afraid of our reaction and how we will take this situation. Despite feeling my own heart pump wildly, I give him a reassuring smile. "Child, do you know where your brothers are?" He nods wildly. "Lead the way, child; we will follow closely behind you."

The child smiles at me, causing my heart to feel a small amount of joy, before his face is filled with determination. Turning on his heels, the boy races down the hallway, running as fast as his legs can carry him. Although I am proud of the child's dedication to his family and his determination, I am concern for his physical state. I do not know what torture he went through nor the impact it has on his body; but, there is no way it can be good for the child's small form.

My assumptions are proven correct when the boy falls, to the floor, his arms shaking as he pushes himself up. Worried for the turtle mutant, I race over and slide to my knees, assisting the child in sitting up. His face is a lighter shade of green than it was previously and his breathing is heavy, showing both me and April that he needs rest, water, and food before he can make a move like that again. Sighing with this new added stress I look down the hallway, calculating our next move.

I turn towards the child. "Will you allow me to carry you to your brothers? Please, we have very little time." Allowing urgency to enter my voice, I try to lock my eyes with the child's. It's not my wish to add fear and stress to the child's weakened form; however, he must now that we need to act now if we are to rescue his family.

After watching me with a thoughtful look, he gives me a nod in acceptance. I waste no time in picking him up before I continue on the path he was taking, running straight down the hallway. The only fills the silence in my ears is my heart thumping loudly, shaking my ribs with every beat. In my arms, the boy points to the third door closest to us, his voice telling me over my heart that his brothers are inside. Sliding to a stop in front of the door, I lower the child to the ground, not wanting his brothers to assume we are taking the boy against his will.

April is seconds behind me, pulling the card key out of her back pocket. She swipes it, causing the door to beep loudly and the light to turn green. Receiving a nod from her, I push the door open slowly and cautiously, almost afraid of what I would see in the dark room.

The light from the hallway spreads over the room, as if it were a fog spreading across the earth. My eyes widen when they meet bright green eyes with a fire burning quick and hot. A turtle, similar to the boy next to me, stands in front of two more turtles, one with wide blue eyes and the other with bandages wrapped around his head, covering his eyes. The green-eyed turtle has his fists out in front of him, prepared to fight if there were trouble. I deeply hope it doesn't come to that for the child's sake. He has already been through so much.

At the sight of their brother, their eyes widen, obviously not expecting their brother to be with us without force. I notice their eyes land on me with curiosity before warily glancing at April. It was the turtle with blue eyes and freckles dotting his green cheeks that breaks the uncertainty. Running from the turtle in the bandage's grip, he wraps his arms around his brother, almost knocking him over. The taller turtle next to us returns the embrace, muttering quiet words of comfort to him as he rubs the back of his shell.

My heart warming up at the love between the turtles, I turn to April. Our eyes meet, I am notice the joy in them that accompany the smile on her face. Sadly, the moment doesn't last when she looks down at her watch, swallowing hard at what she sees. Looking back up at me, I nod in understanding.

Getting to my knees, I focus my attention on the two turtles, I give them time to notice me. It's the freckled-boy that notices first, jumping away in a startle before gripping his arm tightly, unsure of me. Fortunately, the brown-eyed brother gives him a gentle smile before returning his gaze to me, trusting me enough for the moment to know I have no intention of hurting him. I mentally let out a sigh at knowing at least one of them trusts me enough.

"We must go," I tell him softly.

The child nods in understanding before turning to his remaining brothers. His brother, the fighter, still stands strong, whispering words to his bandaged brother as his grips his arm tightly. Whether the touch was for comfort or protecting him was beyond me. "They are helping us get out of here. We can trust them." I am sure all of us could hear the silent "for now" at the end of his words. "They stopped the hurting earlier and took down the scientists, the men in white."

"She's one of them, One," was the green-eyed boy's response, watching April in anger.

April doesn't back down though, bending her knees to appear less threatening. "I did not know what they were doing," she explains. "As soon as I learned they were hurting people like you, I planned on leaving here and stopping the pain they were causing. Please, trust me long enough to get you guys somewhere safe," she begs.

Before the boy can even think about responding, a loud alarm goes off, red lights flashing on and off around us. All of us jump, and one of the turtles next to me let out a startled yelp. Turning back to the boys still in the room, I notice both of them are gripping each other tightly.

"Please," I say quietly, silently urging them to join us. The alarms and our words (including their brother's) are enough to convince them. Dragging the brother who I am sure can't see thanks to the bandages, the fighter drags his brother to the door. As soon as they start running, I take off to lead the way, preparing myself to stop anyone that will try to prevent us from leaving. I can hear the sound of them following behind me as voices from the labs around us begin to increase, sounding curious and nervous.

Once again, we make it to the same door we were at earlier. Stopping, I watch the hallway for trouble as April reaches the door. I let out a soft growl as I notice four guards coming our way along with two scientists. Turning my head, I tell April, "Open the door and start getting the boys out of here; I'll hold them off." Without waiting for a reply, I take off, allowing my tail to wrap around one of their legs, tripping him and causing his body to temporarily be suspended in the air. Before his body hit the hard floor, I bend my arm so my elbow crashes into his rib. He is out in seconds.

I am about to go to the next one when a hear a quick "Forty-Three" shout, followed by a loud, angry yell. Before I can turn around, a blur of green runs past my legs. It's the green-eyes turtle, sending a sharp, powerful kick to one of the scientists legs. As the man falls to his knees, he is greeted by a fist that connects with his face, causing his eyes to roll into the back of his head. The child turns around, giving me a smirk. Unfortunately, there is no way to see the gun one of the guards is raising.

"NO!" I cry out, moving as quick as I can to reach the mutant boy before the human can pull the trigger. Before the loud _BANG_ can fill the room, I move the turtle to safety; unfortunately, the bullet manages to scrape my arm, causing me to let out a powerful hiss.

"Splinter!" It takes me half a second to remember that is my new name before I look up to meet April's wide eyes. The door is now wide open, leaving a clear hallway to the door underneath the large green "EXIT" sign. Swallowing back the pain in my arm, I tell her loudly to go, to get them out of here, and that I'm right behind her. She nods before moving to leave. Before the girl can leave, I see her notice how much the legs of the brown-eyed turtles shake and tremble. It's obvious his body is weakened and running out of energy. Not giving anyone time to protest, she picks up the turtle before racing down the hallway, the bandaged turtle following with a hand on his freckled brother's shoulder.

Glancing over my shoulder, I notice the standing scientist yell and nag at the guard that has fired, displeased on how he shot a "specimen." Taking advantage of the small distraction, a take a page from April's book and pick up the shocked turtle into my arms before running towards the exit. It does not take long till I am caught up with April and the turtles. Sadly, it also does not take long for the humans behind us to realize we are close to our freedom. Yelling fills the hallway as well as bullets hitting the walls next to us.

April pushes the door open, revealing a very colorful van. As I make sure the heavy door does not smash one of the children, my friend opens the back of the van, assisting the turtles inside. Once all of them are in there, except for the one still quiet in my arms, I tell April to get in front and get us out of her. She races to the driver's seat as I remove myself from the door and jump into the back. The guards and scientist just open the door when I close the van's, yelling for April to go.

She does. Quickly pushing on the gas pedal, we zoom out of the facility's parking lot and onto the highway. As the turtles and I watch the building and humans standing outside get smaller and smaller, it becomes real to me. After years of experimentation, torture, despair, and that cursed cage, I, and the four children next to me, are finally free.

 **A/N: This chapter would not end! Celebrate with Splinter and the turtles of their freedom in the reviews! ;)**


End file.
